1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an imaging apparatus, a method of controlling the imaging apparatus, a program for the method of controlling the imaging apparatus, and a recording medium recording the program for the method of controlling the imaging apparatus and is applicable to a video camera with recording means integrated for example. The present invention is intended to surely take slow motion images of a desired scene by ending the high-speed writing of an imaging result to a memory and then reading the imaging result from this memory for recording with reference to a timing at which images of a particular pattern are detected in a particular sequence on the basis of an image recognition result.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-83952 discloses a method of recording image results to a recording medium by in a delayed manner based on the use of a large-capacity memory. According to the technique disclosed in this Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 9-83952, recording can be made starting with a video at a moment prior by a certain period of time to a moment at which a user commanded to start image taking, thereby allowing the user to capture precious shooting chances.
A video camera is recently provided in which a field frequency as an imaging result is reduced by use of a memory to record slow-motion videos. Namely, this video camera outputs an imaging result from an imaging device at a field frequency of 240 [fps], for example, higher than a field frequency 50 [fps (field/second)] or 60 [fps] or a normal video signal and sequentially stores in a memory. Also, this video camera reads the image result stored in the memory at a filed frequency of a normal video signal to record to a recording medium. It should be noted that the memory is configured by SDRAM (Synchronous Dynamic Random Access Memory) for example and the recording medium is configured by a magnetic disk, an optical disk, a hard disk, or the like. In what follows, the processing of lowering the field frequency of an imaging result by use of a memory to record slow-motion video is referred to as slow-motion video taking. With is video camera, a period of time in which slow-motion taking is executed is determined with reference to a point of time at which a control is operated.
However, in slow-motion video taking, golf swing, tennis swing, baseball bat swing, and the like may be taken; in such a case, determining a slow-motion video taking period with reference to a control operating time may cause a problem of the disability of not always accurately taking a desired scene. Namely, in this case, the operation of a control may be too fast or too slow, thereby taking a wasted part or failing to take an essential part.
One of methods of solving this problem may be a method of making a reference of ball hit sound for example. However, with this method, it is possible, in an environment where there is a possibility of picking up many similar sounds, to start taking with reference to a hit sound made by another player. Therefore, even this method presents a problem of the inability of accurately executing slow-motion taking of a desired scene.
There is still another method as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 9-55931 in which video taking is executed with reference to a point of time at which a moving object is detected. In the case of this method, if video taking is started with a still scene, such as in the case of a blown balloon or a milk crown, for example, a desired scene can be taken accurately. However, with this method, a problem may be presented that, in recording a particular scene of moving video images, such as a particular scene of sport for example, a desired scene may be not accurately taken in slow motion.